Real Estate News: Cities Outpace Suburbs in Growth

Europe House of the Day:This seven-bedroom property built in about 1820, but with a history dating back to the 12th century, is set on 15 acres of grounds in Cambridgeshire.

Here is a look at real-estate news in Thursday’s WSJ:

Cities Outpace Suburbs in Growth: Many U.S. cities are growing faster than their suburbs for the first time in decades, reflecting shifting attitudes about urban living as well as the effect of a housing bust that has put a damper on moving.

On the Mend, But Going Bust: City officials in Stockton, Calif., failed to strike a deal with creditors to keep it from becoming the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy protection, as the lingering burden of the housing bust and soaring pension obligations overwhelmed an otherwise improving local economy.

Rising Home Sales Support Case for Housing Recovery: Home-sales data released Wednesday provided fresh support for the view that the strong start to the spring home-buying season marks the beginning of a recovery, not a temporary blip due to an unusually warm winter.

Europe House of the Day: This seven-bedroom property built in about 1820, but with a history dating back to the 12th century, is set on 15 acres of grounds in Cambridgeshire.

Beam Smashes 4 WTC Windows: A large beam was blown into windows at the World Trade Center construction site Wednesday, sending shattered glass 45 floors to the street below.

Worries Weigh on Manhattan Market: Despite some big-ticket apartment sales to multimillionaire and billionaires, Manhattan apartment prices and sales have inched up only modestly during the second quarter, according to analysis of city sales records. Some brokers say they are worried about a falloff in activity in the rest of the year.

Chelsea Piers Puts Ashore in Stamford: Chelsea Piers is expanding into Stamford, Conn., with a 417,000-square-foot sports-and-recreation facility. In contrast to its namesake on Manhattan’s Hudson River waterfront, the space in Connecticut is land locked without interesting views.